The 'Black Strat' Dave Gilmour Signature To Be Released Soon!

After rumours and delays, the official Dave Gilmour website finally confirmed that Fender will release the Dave Gilmour Signature Stratocaster...a replica of his legendary "Black Strat".

It's now official – Fender are now launching the David Gilmour Signature 'Black Strat' model on Monday 22nd September 2008, to coincide with the Live In Gdañsk album, which also hits the streets on that day (Tuesday 23rd in North America).

The Fender Custom Shop's Mike Eldred and Todd Krause have worked very closely with David and Phil Taylor to make sure that the model is the closest thing to David's own, much-customised, guitar, but at an affordable price.

We don't have a confirmed Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price yet, but it won't be $24,000 (the price of the recent Eric Clapton limited 'Blackie' model), nor is it intended to be a limited edition. However its manufacture does take some time, so it may be hard to find at first – hopefully only for a short while. Dolphin Music will order some as soon as they are available to the UK.

In the two years that the guitar has been in discussion, a number of prototypes have been produced, and the final version was only approved when David was happy that all elements combined to make a sound that was as close as possible to his own guitar's. The 'Black Strat' comes in a hard case (by G&G) stuffed with extras: Phil Taylor's 'Black Strat' book, a set of GHS David Gilmour Boomer strings, a copy of the 3-disc version of Live In Gdañsk, a cable by Evidence Audio, a deluxe Fender leather strap, and a David Gilmour plectrum. The interior of the case is a plush green, including embroidered David Gilmour and Fender Custom Shop logos.

The guitar itself features close renditions of the Black Strat's maple neck, deep black pickguard, shortened tremolo arm and custom electronics, and is the only guitar that can be said to closely resemble the real thing – beware of imitations.

Features:

Maple neck – as close as possible to the original ('83 57V with Gotoh tuners), in shape, colour and feel, with a nitro-cellulose finish.

Alder body with the same late 60's contours as the original.

All the pickups were selected by David to match the sound of the 'Black Strat' closely, and are custom-wound: neck and middle pickups by Fender's legendary Abigail Ybarra, and the bridge pickup by Seymour Duncan.

The same extra mini-switch has been added, which adds the neck pickup to the middle or bridge pickup if desired.

The tremolo arm has been shortened, as per David's modification.

There are two models:

The 'Relic', which replicates the 'Black Strat' as it is today with aged parts and worn paint, plus all the wear and tear of David's heavily-used 30-year-old guitar – with no backplate.

The 'New Old Stock' model, which replicates the 'Black Strat' as it is now – but with all-new parts, 'new' paint finish and an additional white plastic backplate. The NOS model should be found at a lower retail price than the 'Relic'.

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